Grinding-machine.



H. B. NICHOLS. GRINDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. e, 1911. RENEWED APR. 2. 1914.

Patented May 5, 19m

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. B, 1911. RENEWED APR. 2, 1914. 1,096,007.

' "1m. NICHOLS.

Patented May 5, 1914.

'7 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

H. B. NICHOLS.

GRINDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED rm. 9, 1911. 112mm]: APR. 2, 1914.

1,096,007. Patented May 5, 191L 7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. B. NICHOLS.

GRINDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NIB. 9, 1911. RENEWED APR. 2, 1914. 1,096,007. Patented May 5, 1914.

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. I I 9, 1911. RENEWED APR. 2.1914- 1,096,007.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

..H. B. NICHOLS.

GRINDING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED EBB. 9/1911. "BENEWEDAPB. 2, 1914.

1,096,007, Patented May" 5, 1 9 l1i1 1 stun-sum: e. I

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Patented May 5,1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE.

1 HENRY B. NICHOLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO-,WILLIAM D.

. GHERKY, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRINDING-MACHINE.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application filed February 9, 1911, Se ria1 No. 607,557. Renewed April 2, 1914. Serial No. 829,184.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY B. NIcHoLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grinding-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to grinding machines,.and particularly =to those used for grinding railway rails in place. It is the nature of an improvement over the machines described in my prior Patent, No. 944,147, granted December 21, 1909,. and my prior application Serial No. 598,840, filed December 22, 1910. In my said prior patent I show and claim a machine comprising a truck having tandem wheels adapted to run on an ordinary track rail, with a reciprocating grinder mounted in slides on the truck, a motor connected to the grinder, and an outrigger secured to the truck, to maintain it upright on the rail. In my said prior application I have shown and described a similar machine having a number of improvements in matters of detail, and certain important additional features, including a pair of large wheels mounted on opposite sides of the truck in such a manner as to be raised from the ground and supported on the truck during grinding. but lowered and the entire truck raised from the rail and supported upon said wheels for purposes of transportation. Certain of the mechanism provided for shifting the load of the truck to the side wheels, and vice versa is claimed, including a double-acting crank which acts through gearing in both directions to raise the respective weights. The

crank shaft is therefore under constant tension, having a turning moment in one directicn or. the other. As the weights handled are considerable, any slip of the crank is dangerous, and one feature of the present invention is a safety device to prevent this slip.

In both the patent and the prior applica- -tion, I show the motor geared to a cam drum, which acts through studs on a reciprocating rod or she t connected to the grinder. The grinder itself in that case comprises a heavy cast holder to receive the grinding bricks, the combined masses of the bricks and the holder being rehed uponto shaft geared to the motor, so as toproduce present case the necessity for suchslow speeds, for any special cam, and for heavy operating parts is done away with by using the weight of the machine to'supply friction at the grinding surface, and making the holder for the, grinding bricks as light as possible. This enables me to employ a crank what I may call a direct drive, at. much higher speeds than heretofore practicable. \Vhile the idea broadly of transferring the weight of the machine to the grinder is not original with me, and will be claimed herein only incidentally, I have rendered it effective in'this type of machine, and shall claim the driving and connecting elements both broadly and specifically, together with certain features of improvement which I have now introduced into the grinder itself.

Various specific features of improvement will sufficiently appearcfrom the illustration, fllflfl from the detailed description hereina ter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figures 1 and 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine. F igs. 2 and 2 is a plan View thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are opposite end views, looking in the directions of the respective arrows marked f and f in Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the motor reducing gears and of the brick-holder, respectively. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of a ratchet wrench appertaining to the grinder. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View of the brick holder.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the general design of the machine is the same as that disclosed in my aforesaid prior patent and application. It comprises a truck 1 having side members 1* and end members 1", the side members projecting at'bot-h ends ,to receive journal boxes 2 for the axles of rigger 8 is employed, of which however, only the broken end is shown in Fig. 2. F or ease of manipulation and for transp ol'tfltlQIl purposes, the machine is provided with end handles 9 having handle bars 10. In trans- "portingit, the entire weight of the machine 1s supported upon a pair of large wheels 1l-12,journaled on spindles 13-14 on oppo site ends of a bent axle 15. Secured upon the arch or bent portion of this axle are the separated ends of" a heavy V-shaped jack lever 16 bolted to the axle shown at the ends of its arms and. at the other end. 16 connected through a plate 16 with one arm 18 of a toothed segment 18,having a hub 18 journaled on the same spindle as the wheel 12,

and driven by the intermeshing pinion 19 ca vied upon a transvers shaft 20 supourted 1 in hearings in the upper ends of OPPOSlLQ posts 21 riveted at their lower ends to the side memhere '1 of the truck 1, and secured against air gular displacement by braces 21 The opposite ends of the shaft 20 are squared to receive the hub 22 of a crank 22, by means of whic the shaft may be operated to raise the truck upon the wheels 1112 or to lower the truck and raise the wheels 1112 from the gro u nd, according to whether it is desired to move the machine, or to proceed with grinding. In either case there will be a tension in one direction or the other producing a turning moment of the shaft 20, and in order to n'iaintain the parts immovable as set for either of tin? foregoingpurposes, I secure upon the shaft a pair 0 ratchet wheels 20 ar 20?, ha ing their teeth pointing in opposite directions, and to cooperate with these ll provide a double dog pawl 23 having two noses and 2 3* cooperating with the two ratchets, resp ctively. The dog is pivoted on the side member 21 so that it may be thrown over in either direction to engage either ratchet at will, and thus permit mo tion of the crank in either direction, wnile looking it against motion in the reverse dire c lion. 1'

The ends 16 of the jack lever are bifurcated to receive gudgeons on hearing blocks 16, which support eye-bolts from which de- I pend chains 24' and 25, best shown in Fig: it. At the lower ends these chains are con The motor is connected of the truck. \Vhen the segment 18 is moved downwardly as shown in Fig. 1, the ends 16 of the jack lever are elevated as the' lever and the axle turn on the hubs of the wheels 1112, and the, machine is thereby lifted from the ground. i

In the drawings, which have been prepared from working drawings of the machine, the jack lever 16 is shown in an intermediate or idle position, but with the segment 18 down so that if the chains 2 1 and were attached to the ears 24 and 25*, the machine, comprising the truck, wheels, and attached parts, including the outrigger, would be suspended by the chains from the lever 16. and supported clear of the ground on the wheels 11-12.' The chains, however, are shown disconnected from the cars, for

chine resting on the track, and supported on the wheels 3, thechains '24; and are slack and the wheels 1112 are-lifted clear of the ground and supported on the truck. This condition is brought about in the following manner: T he shaft 20 is rotated in a clockwise direction, so as to throw the seg ment 18 up until its lower end-approaches the pinion 15 the pawl 33 holding it there.

The end 1W ot the jack lever is thereby elevated and its ends 16" are depressed, allowing the chains to slack up, and the PL'OiQClZ ing curved shoes 26 and 27 to rest upon studs and 2) projecting from the opposite side lllt-l'l'lbils l-F1 of the t'uck frame. These shoes are riveted to cheek plates 30 31 connected to the ends of-tlie arch of the axle, and thereby rigidly connected to the jack lever. The cheek plates lie upon opposite sides of a frame; 32, and prevent undue oscillation of the machine wheirsuspended from the large wheels 1112, thus performing a double function.

Turning now to Figs. 1 and 2 4: and (5. the detailed construction and arrange nient of the grinding element will be described. As best shown in Fig. (3, the guide ways 1 are secured on the upper and lower faces of side members 1 of the frame. The carriage 7 reciprocates within the frame, its opposite sides bearing against the inner faces of the guides. In order to pre' vent vertical displacement of the carriage either upwardly or downwardly, it is provi ded with slide or hearing plates i bolted to its side members at 7 The carriage in plan l ig. 2) shows the form of an open rectangle with. end members 7 carrying vertical giiide flanges 7 forming vertical guide .ways for the brick holder 33. Rigidly sesimplicity ofillustration. With the ma- I -saddle, which leaves the brick-holder free" Rising from each end'of the brick holder {Fig 1 is a post 33*, and extending 'longi tudinally across the heads of these posts is.

an arched reinforcedleaf spring 35, having yent accidental displacement.

will be hereinafterfully explained. pressure screw can be turned, turning the 1oc'kshaft with it, so as to remove the 'foot of the screw from its socket in thespring to rise its slides between the flanges 7.

In order that the motion of therockshaft stub lever arms 36., secured rigidly on the opposite ends of the rockshaft, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. Each of these arms.

carries a clevis at its extremity from which depends a chain 36, the other end of which is carrieddown and secured at 36 to the brick-holder. In order that these chains may not rattle and thereby create a disturbance when operated at'night, also in order to prevent fouling of'the links, I provide a spring 36 for each chain, one end of said spring being secured about the middle of the chain, and its other end secured to a post or stud on the carriage. In passing it should be noted that similar springs may be and preferably are employed in connec tion with the chains 24 and 2 5, constituting anti-rattling devices, which I shall claim herein as part of my invention. In order toprevent the brick-holder from dropping after it has been elevated by turning the rock-.

shaft, a toothed detent are 37 is also fixed on the shaft, with which coiipera-tes a pawl 38, held in engagement by a spring 39, but readily disengaged by manually lifting its heel.

Thus, by merely turning the screw 34 in the.

rpchshaft, and then rotating the shaft, three things are accomplished, viz., the pressure is removed from the spring 35, the brickholder is lifted by means of the chain, and

the parts are held locked by the pawl and ratchet. The degree of pressure on the spring, or in other words, the proportion of the weight of the machine which will be imposed upon the brick-holder, and hence. the pressure on the frictional surface of the bricks. is determined by adjustment of the screw 34, which canbe turned in the rockshaft after loosening the two lock nuts 34". These nuts are not essential however.

The operation of my machine as thus described is as follows: lVhen the machine is first brought out for use, and in order to convey it to the point of use, the segment 18 is cranked down into the position shown in Fig-L1,. and the entire. machinethereby lifted clear of the ground. As the'segment,

swings down the shoes'26' and 27 slide over; {their studs 28 and 29, and the arch. ofthe axle rises. while the axle as a wholefalls 0 until the tires oft-helar'ge Wheels strike the ground, after which the same motion continues, the shoesl'eave the studs,the chains 24 and 25 become taut, and begin to lift the weight of. the truck. During this motion fitted to the shaft 20 and .the spindles of the axle, respectively. At the end of the motion the machine hangs from the chains, the cheek plates guard opposite sides of the frame 32 to prevent oscillation, and the device may then be moved by means of the the small wheels 3 over the track rail to the ground, the crank handle 22 is grasped, the pawl 23 is thrown off, and the motion of the crank is reversed to rotate the pinion 19 I clockwise and permit the segment 18 to rise. This lifts the ends 16 of the jack lever, lowers the ends 16, and permits the truck to descend until'the wheels 3 rest on the rail and take the weight of the truck. Continuance of this motion renders the chains 24.

and 25 slack, brings the shoes 26 and 27 onto their roller studs 28 and 29, and with these studs as fulcrums lifts the wheels 11 and 12 and their attached parts as already stated. The brake lever 43 is then thrown up to depress the brake 42 into contact with the rail, the pawl 38 of the grinding element is thrown off, the pressure screw 34 is turned in the position shown in Fig. 1*, (the brick-holder being lowered thereby) and the motor may be started to proceed with the grinding, the screw 34 being turned to regulate the pressure.

It' will be observed that a salient difference between this machine and those described in my priorpatent and application the axle is maintained in almement by. a pair 7 of side links 40 and 41 having terminal eyes handle-bars 10. Having been adjusted with lies in this, that whereas in the prior machines a heavy grinding body was reciprocated, with great inertia to overcome at the end of every stroke, in the present case the brick-holder and carriage are light, with relatively small inertia, and may be operated at correspondingly higher speed. The pressure necessary to insure eflicient grinding is sec-uredby tension of the spring 35, whose downward thrust is exerted against the posts 33 and communicated thereby through the body of the holder 33 to the bricks; and whose upward thrust is exerted against the screw 34, and communicated thereby to the posts 7, and thence to the side members of the carriage and through the lower slide plates 7 to the slides 1 0n the side members 1 of the truck frame. Since tile contact between the slide plate 7 and the slide 1 is constant during reciprocation, it

follows that the weight of the machine is imposed to the desired degree upon the spring ands'o upon the bricks equally throughout their entire travel; while at the same time the actual moving mass is small. Another result which flows from this arrangement is that a brake such as that shown at 4:2 is not always essential. The machine being very heavy, its own inertia assists in keeping it steady on levels, undercontrol of hand-grip on the bars 10. It is desirable in this machine to use the brake sparingly, as it tends to remove working pressure from the grinder. VA

. To remove the machine from the rail, the motions of the cranks, pinion l9. segment 18, and jack lever 16 are reversed,-as previously stated, the T handle of the screw 3% being first thrown over to disengage the screw from thespring 35, and to lift the brick-holder It remains to describe the mechanism by which accidental rotation of the crank 22 is prevented. This is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but'is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. The crank is provided with a split handle, one-half of which 22 is fixed, and the other half 22* je'cting short lever arm 20 to which is pivotally connected the outer end of a slide rod 998 which carries a locking do 2 at its extremity, normally forced by a spring 22 into engagement with the periphery of a square toothed disk 20' fixed on one of the posts 21. The locking dog engages the disk at all times, except when the'handlc is grasped, when the pivoted portion 22 is forced toward the fixed portion 22, and moves the slide rod so as-to withdraw the dog 22 from the teeth of the disk.

The brick-holder 33, as shown in Figs. 1*, 9 and 6, is in the form of an open rectangle, with side plates 33 and 33* between which the bricks 330 are held with interposed shims, being jammed longitudinally against the' ends of the holder when adjusted, by means of a wedge 33 forced down between opposite wedge-faced shims, bymcans of a screw 33 working in a bridge 33" across the side plates 33 and 3-3. The screw has a squared head 33*, to take a wrench such as that shown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein a socket head is acted upon through ratchet teeth around its body by a doubleacting pawl lever.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, guide ways thereon, tandem track wheels alining the frame and said guides a brick-holder adapted to reciprocate on said ways, a plurality. of vertically adjustable grinding bricks in said holder a motor on the truck, a crank shaft and a crank ad ais pivoted at 22, with a pro-' cent to the motor, an operating connection between the motor and the crank shaft, and a connecting rod having a pivotal connection with the crank pin at one end, and with the brick-holder at the other the arrangement being such that the brick holder is secured to the truck frame againstvertical dis placement, and the wear in grinding is taken up by vertical adjustment of the bricks in the holder.

2. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, guide ways thereon, tandem track wheels alining the frame and said guides a brick-holder adapted to reciprocate on said ways, a plurality of vertically adjustable grinding brick. in said holder a motor on the truck, a crank shaft and a crank adjacent to the motor, reducing gears between the motor and the crank shaft and a connecting rod having a bearing to receive the crank pin at one end, and connected to the brick-holder at the other end the brick holder being vertically adjustable inthe guides, but secured thereon during grinding by upper and lowerflanges to prevent vertical displacement-and insure grinding pressure.

3. In a. rail grinding machine, truck frame, guide ways thereon. tandem track wheels alining the frame and said guides, a brick-holder adapted to reciprocate on said ways, a plurality of verticallyadjust- "ablc L1'rinding bricks in said holder a motor on the truck, a crank shaft and a crank adacent to the motor, an operatlng connection between the motor and the crank shaft. a

connecting rod having a pivotal connection with the crank pin at one end, and with the brick-holder at the other, and means traveling with and exerting pressure on the brick-holder so as to produce pressure at the grinding surface disproportibnate to the mass of said holder the brick holder being vertically adjustable in the guides, but

cured thereon during grinding by upper and lower flanges to prevent vertical displacement and insure grinding pressure.

4. In a rail grinding machine. a truck frame, guide ways thereon, tandem track wheels alining the frame and said guides a brick-holder adapted to reciprocate on said ways, a plurality of vertically adjustable grinding bricks in said holder a motor on the truck, a crank shaft and a crank adjacent to the motor, reducing gears between the motor and the crank shaft, a connecting rod having a bearing to receive the crank pin at on end, and connected to the brickholder at the other end, and means also reciprocating on the ways and adapted to be adjusted to exert pressure on the brick- 'mass of said holder said pressure means being provided with upper and lower flanges brick-holder adapted to reciprocate on'said' ways, a motor on the truck, a crankshaft and a crank adjacent to the motor, an operating connection between the motor and the crank shaft, a connecting rod having a pivotal connection with the crank pin at one end, and with the brick-holder at the other, and adjustable means also reciprocating on said -ways adapted to superimpose a portion of the weight of the machine upon the brickholder in its travel. I

' 6.-In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, guide ways thereon, tandem track Wheels alining the frame and said guides a brick-holder adapted to reciprocate in said ways, a motor on the truck, a crank shaft and a crank adjacent to the motor, an operating connection between the motor and the crank shaft, a connecting rod having a pivotal connection with the crank pin at one end, and with the brick-holder at the other, a spring bridged over and connected tothe brick-holder, and means traveling on the truck frame for exerting pressure on said spring to compress the same.

7. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, a pair of parallel horizontal guide ways thereon, a carriage fitted for reciprocation in said guides, with means thereon to prevent vertical displacement of the carriage, a brick holder adapted for vertical movement in the carriage, grinding bricks carried in said holder, tandem track wheels alining the truck frame and brick holder over the rail to be ground, a mot-or on the truck frame, reducing gears and a crank shaft and connecting rod for transmitting power from said motor to the sliding carriage and brick holder, and means secured upon the carriage and traveling therewith, adapted to exert variable pressureonthe brick holder.

8. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, a pair of parallel horizontal guide ways thereon, a carriage fitted for reciprocation in said guides, with means thereon to prevent vertical displacement of the carriage, a brick holder adapted for vertical movement in the carriage, grinding bricks carried in said holder, tandem track wheels alining the truck frame and brick holder over the rail to be ground, a motor on the truck frame, reducing gears and a crank shaft and connecting rod for transmitting power from said motor to the sliding carriageand brick holder, and means for exerting pressure on the brick-holder 1n grinding comprising a member secured to the brick holder, a second bridge member secured to the carriage, and an adjustable connection between said members.

9. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, a pair of parallel horizontal guide ways thereon, a carriage fitted for reciprocation in said guides, with'means thereon to prevent vertical displacement ofthe carriage, a brick holder adapted for vertical ,movement in the carriage, grinding bricks carried in said holder, tandem track wheels aligning the truck frame and brick holder over the rail to be-ground, a motor on the truck frame, reducing gears and acrank shaft and connecting rod for transmitting powerfrom said motor to the sliding-carriage and brick holder, and means for exerting pressure on the brick holder during grinding comprising a spring bridged from end to end of the brick holder, a transverse bridge securedon the carriage, and a pressure screw threaded through said bridge so as to bear against said spring.

10. In a rail grinding machine, a truck frame, a pair of parallel horizontal guide ways thereon, a carriage fitted for reciprocation in said guides, with means thereon to prevent vertical displacement of the -carriage, a brick holder adapted for vertical movement in the carriage, grinding bricks carried in said holder, tandem track wheels alining the truck frame and brick'holder over the rail to be, ground, a motor on the truck frame, reducing gears and a crank shaft and connecting rod for transmitting power from said motor to the sliding carriage and brick holder, and means for regulating the pressure on the grinding surface comprising a pair of end posts uprising from the brick holder, a pair of side posts uprising from the carriage, a bridge bar extending across the upper ends of said carriage posts, a spring extending thereunder connecting the upper ends of the brick holder posts, and a. pressure screw threaded through said bridge bar and bearing down against the said spring, whereby vertical pressure may be applied from the truck frame through the guide ways and the carriage to the brick holder and the grinding tion in said guides, with means thereon to prevent vertical displacement of the carriage, a brick holder adapted for vertical movement in the carriage, grinding bricks carried in said holder, tandem track wheels alining the truck frame and brick holder over the rail to be ground, a motor on the truck frame, reducing gears and a crank shaft and connecting rod for transmitting power from said motor. to the sliding carriage and brick holder, and means for exert ing pressure uponthe grinding surface'in operation, and for raising the brick holder out of grinding position, comprising the following: a pair of end posts 33 uprising from the brick holder,-a pair of side posts 7 uprising from the carriage, a spring 35 extending longitudinally between the side posts and having its ends connected to said end posts, a bridge bar 7 extending across and pivotally secured in theupper ends of the side posts, a pressure screw 34 threaded into said bridge bar and provided with suitable locking means, the lower end of said screw bearing on the-spring 35, one or more projecting fingers 36cm said bridge bar, and

lifting means 36 extending from said fin-.

gets to the brick holder, whereby during grinding the pressure screw 34- may be caused to transfer part of the weight of the machine through the guide ways and the nuance? length to a fixed portion of the machiney a truck frame, a grinding element, means on the frame adapted to support it over the rail to be ground, auxiliary means to sup- 0 port the entire machine clear of the rail for transportation purposes, and means to shift the weight of-the frame to the grinding ele- .mentfrom the auxiliary means or to the auxiliary means from the grinding element, at will. i

14. A rail grinding machine comprising a truck frame, a grinding element, means to support the frame over the rail to be ground, auxiliary wheels to support the entire machine in transportation, and means to shift the weight of the machine to the auxiliary wheels orythe weight of the auxiliary wheels to the frame and the grinding element, at will. I In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY B. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

JAMES S. CLIFFORD, EDWARD E. CLEMENT. 

